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Patches of yellowing or dying soybeans have been observed and are a cause of concern across many areas of Nebraska in the last 2 weeks. Some of these areas are due to several diseases described here.

Over the past two years of the study across multiple locations, we found that yield response to applied N rates was evident only in the wet year. In a dry year, grain protein was elevated in an inverse reciprocation to the reduced grain yield. These findings suggest for the need to be able to manage and adjust N according to weather, particularly to spring moisture. There were benefits of applying N in spring or split over fall application, but the effect was not consistent across sites and years. There is much to do before crop sensors can be used in winter wheat N management in the state, but we have encouraging results suggesting their potential use.

The following diseases and pests were reported in samples submitted to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic from August 16 through September 2, 2020.

Are you seeing ears drooping over earlier? What should you expect come harvest time?

Nebraska 4-H camps in partnership with Douglas-Sarpy County Extension is offering a handful of science-based school-year day camps this fall. Through these experiences, youth have the opportunity to explore the natural world at Schramm State Recreation Area. These day camps allow youth to connect with friends while enjoying their natural surroundings. The sessions are open to all youth ages 6-14. Youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. All of the sessions will follow CDC and ACA guidelines for in-person activities, with hand sanitizer, masks, and social distancing. For more details and a complete list of sessions, visit the School Year Camps webpage. 

School Year Camps

The 2020 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest will be held on Sunday, October 20th at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Animal Science Complex. Registration/Check-in will be at 7:00 AM that morning with the contest beginning at 8:00 AM. As of now, the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest is moving forward as planned, and our state-level contest is vital for a team to qualify for the national level.

There will be changes to this year's contest:

• This will be a senior division only contest. Each team will be limited to 5 contestants and only one coach and one other chaperone if needed.
• Everyone attending the contest will wear a mask and hand sanitizing stations will be present throughout the facility.
• Livestock classes will be arranged in a more spread-out fashion and we may implement a 2-round system for the placings portion of the contest.
• Youth will maintain at least a 10-foot distance from the reasons takers during that portion of the competition.
• We will not arrange a live awards ceremony on site. Awards will be announced online. Awards will be mailed.
• We will not provide any pencils, clipboards, paper, etc. Each team must bring their own materials. We will only handout placing cards and contestant numbers in the team packets.
• We will not provide lunch. We plan to have the contest finished by 1:00-2:00 PM. If a hotel room is needed for Saturday night, the Staybridge Suites I-80 will be providing a special rate.

If hotel rooms are needed for Saturday night, the Staybridge Suites I-80 will be providing a special rate.

Registration is open now and will close at noon on Wednesday, September 16th. Registration must be completed through county Extension offices. 

State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

As many farmers are getting ready to begin harvest, those who grow winter wheat are preparing to plant. There are many reasons why growers have been planting winter wheat in eastern Nebraska.

Extension Educator Stephen Baenziger looks back on his 34 years of working with wheat varieties in Nebraska.

Winter wheat planting will soon be upon us in east and south central Nebraska as soybean harvest is not far off this year.

Including winter wheat in the cropping system does not appear to be a profitable decision when one only examines the production costs and expected returns. Generally, there are additional production and economic benefits that should be considered. First, we will review the cost of production and then discuss other potential benefits of including winter wheat in the cropping system.

The importance of estimating soybean yield prior to harvesting as forage is illustrated in this photo of drought-stressed soybean from Washington County, NE. With a closer look at these plants, you can see 10 to 12 pods per stem with 3 seeds per pod on a few of the plants. These soybeans are not stressed enough to consider for hay or silage. Photo courtesy of Aaron Nygren, Nebraska Extension. For some producers, the time has come to determine if soybean will be cut for forage or left for grain-this is not an easy decision. In some areas, soybean plants are still hanging on despite the continued heat and lack of moisture.

Fungicide seed treatments help to reduce losses caused by seed transmitted and soilborne fungal diseases of wheat. Some systemic seed treatment products contain a fungicide and an insecticide and offer additional protection against fall season foliar diseases and insects such as aphids which also transmit barley yellow dwarf virus.

Are you interested in how agriculture technologies can improve nitrogen management on your farm? Nebraska Extension received a $1.2 million On-Farm Conservation Innovation grant from USDA – Natural Resource Conservation Service which connects corn and wheat producers across Nebraska with access to cutting-edge technologies through on-farm research.

A few more growers and wheat acres in Nebraska became familiar with wheat stem sawfly damage during this past growing season.

Image Source: Pixels, Cottonbro

Many parents report that time is their biggest barrier to teaching their children. Because there are limited hours in the day, math is the topic that often gets left out. However, it is important to recognize that we do not have to set aside specific time dedicated only to math. Math concepts can be incorporated into activities and routines that you are already doing. These strategies can help you maximize your time, and also show children how math applies in real world settings. It takes intentional effort, but once you have made math engagement a norm, your child will initiate many of the interactions.

1. Eating

Help your child set the table. How many people are eating the meal? Each person needs one plate, one fork, and one napkin. Meal and snack time also provide a great opportunity to expose your child to mathematical language terms (Would you like more carrots? Who has the most bread?). You can also count small snacks like raisins or crackers and ask questions (How many will you have if I give you one more? How many will you have left after you eat two?).

Resources: One Gooey Layer after Another, Eating Up Patterns

2. Reading

While reading to your child, try asking math-related questions and initiating math-related conversations (How many ducks can you see? Let’s count the animals with two legs and the animals with four legs and add them up.). ,

Resources: Mighty Math Books, Maths through Stories

3. Driving

While you are in the car or on the bus, you can help your child count and compare the things that you see. Turn it into a game! “You count the red cars and I’ll count the blue cars. Then we can compare them and see if we saw more red or blue cars.” or “I noticed that car is stopped.  You look for a car that is moving.”

Resource: Get Ready for Road Trips with Our Math On the Go Printable!

4. Playing

Think about some ways that you can incorporate math into playing with your child’s favorite toys. Does your child like dinosaurs? Sort them (by color, size, etc.) and then count the groups. Which group has the most? Which group has the fewest? Then try sorting them by a different trait and compare the groups again.

Resources: Sorting Socks , NAEYC Math at Home Toolkit

5. Talking

Ask questions that prompt your child’s mathematical thinking. Sometimes your child will say things that surprise you, or respond incorrectly to a question. Rather than immediately correcting, try to find the right answer together. Ask follow up questions that help your child figure it out on their own. This is also a good strategy when your child responds correctly. Try prompting with “Wow! How did you figure that out?” or “Show me why you think there would be three.”

Resource: Talking about Math All Around Us! On-The-Go Cards The most important thing to remember when engaging your child in math is to have fun. Set an example that math engagement is a positive and enjoyable experience. The interaction should center on a positive experience with you, with math learning as an added bonus.

AMY NAPOLI, EXTENSION SPECIALIST | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Lynn DeVries, Extension Educator, The Learning Child and Linda Reddish, Extension Educator, The Learning Child

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 Forage, pasture, and weather conditionsSpanish: 

Corn condition is rated 66% good to excellent, down from 73% the previous week, with 96% dough and 60% dented. Soybean condition is rated 71% good to excellent, down from 76% the previous week, with 98% setting pods and 5% dropping leaves.